China urged the United States on Tuesday to "stop preparing for war" in space after the US Space Force confirmed it had deployed weapons into orbit for the first time.

The call came after the US Space Force said on Monday that it had deployed "on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending... against hostile adversary action", without providing specifics.

The Foreign Ministry said it opposed the move, warning against the "weaponisation of outer space, turning it into a battlefield, as well as an arms race there".

"We urge the US side to stop expanding its military capabilities and preparing for war in outer space," ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said in a news briefing.

The US Space Force cited China as a threat in its announcement, saying Beijing "develops and operates space and counterspace capabilities as part of a military modernisation strategy".

It also named Russia, which it said "believes space supremacy will be a decisive factor in future conflicts". (AFP)



Edited by Edmond Fong